Copyright (c) 2020 Baptist Press. Reprinted from Baptist Press (www.baptistpress.com), news service of the Southern Baptist Convention.
The original story can be found at http://www.bpnews.net/49905/firstperson-reaching-refugees-reaching-the-nations

FIRST-PERSON: Reaching refugees, reaching the nations

MARIETTA, Ga. (BP) -- In 2015, Syrian families seeking refuge from the brutal war in their homeland began arriving in our city.

As senior pastor of Johnson Ferry Baptist Church in Marietta, Ga., it has been my privilege to lead our people to engage with and serve those refugees, principally in metro Atlanta where they have gathered from all over the world. The people of our church have opened their hearts to them, helping many resettle in our community.

Because of our work, we suddenly found ourselves thrust into the media spotlight. Johnson Ferry was featured in The New York Times and on CNN, Fox News and 60 Minutes. Hundreds of calls, emails and letters poured in from people all over the U.S.

The reason for the overwhelming reaction was that these are not just Syrian families. They are Muslim Syrian families.

Unchurched Americans from states like California, Oregon and Washington (the so-called "Left Coast") expressed their wholehearted support -- and surprise -- for the work we were doing as a conservative Baptist church. One memorable letter was from a cab driver in San Francisco who donated $200 from his Super Bowl office pool winnings to help the refugees. He was deeply touched by our church's efforts, even though he did not share our beliefs.

Unfortunately, responses from many Christians ranged from worry over our country's security to blaming our church for letting in potential terrorists. Some thundered with extreme condemnation like "I hope you burn in hell!" A strong but small Christian voice supported our efforts, most notably our own church members. We are so thankful for their encouragement and involvement along the way.

Reaching refugees: reaching the nations

In the wake of these responses to our work with refugees, I've begun to wonder if many American Christians have missed the reason why we have been blessed in the first place. If we truly believe that God is sovereign, then it should be clear that God is leading peoples from Syria, Afghanistan, Somalia and other places to our collective doorstep.

These refugees are now living in a land where the Gospel is freely proclaimed. Peoples previously inaccessible are not only within our reach, they are our neighbors.

In light of this reality, we need more churches to understand that God turns even the tragedy of forced migration into the triumph of future salvation. The opportunities are tremendous for the Gospel to be heard by literally millions of people who've been forced out of places where the Gospel could not previously go. And many of those opportunities can now be found in our own neighborhoods.

Ways to respond

Here are three simple ways in which we as Christ's followers can aid the refugees among us:

First, we should simply love our neighbors.

Christ makes this very clear in His teaching on the Great Commandment in Matthew 22:36–40. We are meant to love God with all we are and have and to love our neighbors.

Our government has been tasked with the responsibility to decide who can gain access to our country and who cannot, and we can speak into that process as American citizens. Our role in the church, however, is different. Once people have been given access, they are our neighbors, and how we respond must necessarily be founded in Scripture and mirror the character of Christ.

As such, we now have eight Muslim Syrian refugee families and two Christian Iranian refugee families that hundreds of volunteers in our church are helping to learn English, shop in an American grocery store, pay bills -- everything that pertains to daily life.

Second, we should share the hope we have in Christ. With everyone. The Gospel is for all people, including Muslims. Jesus is worthy of their worship and praise just as He is worthy of our own. Our attitude toward refugees must reflect this truth.

Third, we should thank God daily for our blessings. Spiritual and material blessings are ours to be stewarded, not hoarded. 1 Timothy 6:17–19 is abundantly clear: "Instruct those who are rich in the present age not to be arrogant or to set their hope on the uncertainty of wealth, but on God, who richly provides us with all things to enjoy. Instruct them to do what is good, to be rich in good works, to be generous, willing to share, storing up treasure for themselves as a good foundation for the coming age, so that they may take hold of what is truly life" (1 Timothy. 6:17-19, CSB).

Those of us who live in America are among the richest people in the world. All of us. We've been given so much. As believers, we must understand that all we have received is for His purposes (Matthew 25:14–30) to be invested for the good of His Kingdom. Generosity, then must be a defining characteristic -- one that determines how we interact with others in need.

Presently, our government officials are reshaping our nation's refugee resettlement policy. As believers, we should pray for wisdom among our leaders in that process. And yet, whichever way the political winds blow, may we as Christ-followers open our eyes to the immigrants and refugees God has placed among us. May we love these neighbors and friends and see their arrival as an opportunity for Christ's Kingdom to advance.

Bryant Wright is senior pastor of Johnson Ferry Baptist Church in Marietta, Ga., and a past president of the Southern Baptist Convention. This column first appeared at the International Mission Board's imb.org website.

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